Stabilized ammonium mahogany sulfonates



Patented Sept. 19, 1950 STABILIZED AMMONIUM MAHOGANY SULFONATES Milton P. Kleinholz, East Chicago, and Theodore A. Hack, Hammond, Ind., assignors to Sinclair Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine No Drawing.

Application January 29, 1947,

Serial No. 725,159

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mineral oil compositions and, more particularly, to improvements in compositions consisting essentially of mineral oil fractions containing a minor proportion of ammonium mahogany sulfonate.

Effective rust-inhibiting mineral oil compositions have previously been prepared by incorporating in a mineral oil fraction a minor proportion of a petroleum ammonium sulfonate, obtained by the reacting of ammonia with a sulfuric acid-treated hydrocarbon oil, 1. e., by the amination of mahogany acids. Rust-inhibiting, lubrieating, slushing and needle oils, and the like, may be compounded by blending concentrates so prepared with a suitable base oil.

It has been found, however, that, while the compounding of the sulfonates with the mineral oil fraction effectively retards rusting, the concentrate of the sulfonate in the mineral oil, for instance a 10% concentrate of ammonium mahogany sulfonate in neutral oil, is not completely stable over periods of prolonged storage. It has been observed that, on long standing, a yellowishwhite gelatinous precipitate frequently forms in the composition, causing turbidity. Further, upon formation of this precipitate, the rustinhibiting properties of the composition are somewhat impaired.

We have found that the formation of this precipitate may be prevented and the composition made to remain clear and homogeneous over long periods of time by including in the mineral oil composition, containing the ammonium mahogany sulfonates, a minor proportion of aniline.

We have found that, where a minor proportion of aniline is included in the oil concentrate, formation of the precipitate does not occur. Even after the formation of the precipitate in the mineral oil composition, the composition is clarified, the precipitate being completely dissolved, by the addition of 1 to 2% by volume of aniline, and thereafter the composition has been found to remain clear and bright over periods of storage at room temperature in excess of 200 days and to remain entirely free of haze after it has been brought back to room temperature following a chilling to F.

In a further test, 2% by volume of aniline was added to a sample of an oil composition consisting of acid treated 210 neutral oil containing by volume of ammonium mahogany sulfonate which, upon standing, had developed considerable turbidity. Before checking the sample, the precipitate was evenly suspended in the oil by agitation. Upon adding the aniline, the sample completely cleared and remained clear after a storage period of over two months. A blank sample of the oil composition, originally turbid, remained turbid over the test period. Further, the rustinhibiting characteristics of the mineral oil composition were not deleteriously afi'ected by the addition of the aniline.

In a further test, 1% by volume of aniline was added to a sample of a freshly prepared concentrate consisting of approximately 10% by volume of ammonium mahogany sulfonate in acid treated 210 neutral stock. A sample of the stock to which no aniline was added became turbid and developed a precipitate in 13 days, whereas the sample to which the aniline was added remained clear and developed no precipitate after a storage period, at room temperature, in excess of two months.

The improved concentrates are useful for preparation of mineral oil blends whether the mineral oil constituent is of the lubricating, gasoline, kerosene, Diesel fuel, fuel oil or slushing or needle oil type. The proportion of aniline added may, with advantage, vary from as low as 0.1% to 2% by volume. The optimum proportions of aniline to be used will depend somewhat upon the characteristics of the particular mineral oil fraction and the proportion of the sulfonate incorporated therein. A concentrate which has been found particularly advantageous, both with respect to rust-inhibiting characteristics and stability, is one containing 88% of Mid-Continent neutral, 10% ammonium mahogany sulfonate, and 2% of aniline, each by volume. The proportion of the sulfonate in the concentrate is subject to variation and the proportion of aniline may, with advantage, be varied within the above indicated range.

A particularly desirable lubricating oil composition may be prepared by blending the above described concentrate with a suitable lubricating oil fraction in such proportions that the lubricating oil blend contains about 0.05 to about 1% by volume of the ammonium mahogany sulfonate.

Ammonium mahogany sulfonates, which have been used, with advantage, in the preparation of our improved mineral oil compositions, are those REFERENCES CITED described in the fiopending-enpliwfion of Frank The following references are of record in the lin M. Watkins, Serial Number 638,581, filed Deme of this patent;

1 I b cember3 1945,nowa andoneci ED STATES PA S We claim: 5

A mineral oil composition consisting essentially Number Name Date of a neutral oil containing 10% by volume of am- 1,937,521 Limburg Dec. 5, 1933 monium' mahogany sulfonate and which has been 2,340,035 Zimmer Jan. 25, 1944 stabilized against the formation of a precipitate 2,420,068 Duncan May 6, 1947 on storage by the addition of 0.1% to 2% by vol- 10 ume of aniline.

MILTON P. KLEINHOLZ.

THEODORE A. HACK. 

